Eagles crown seven champs and place 12 wrestlers out of 13 as the 2017-18 wrestling season gets underway

by Billy Loverocket

The McDonogh wrestling team kicked the season off with an exclamation mark on Saturday as they hosted the 45th annual Ray Oliver Tournament. The Eagles captured the crown by a hefty 110.5 point margin over runner-up Delaware’s Salesianum (262.5-146).The seven champions crowned by McDonogh was easily the most of any team. Smyrna from Delaware had two champs (the only other team with more than one).

LaVeck, who is currently ranked No. 7 in the state, trounced Salesianum’s Luke Harasika in the finals, 15-2. Harasika defeated Maryland’s top ranked 152lber, Brendon Gallagher (Landon), 5-2, in the semi-finals.

Spalding placed fifth as a team running up 132.5 points. Their lone titlist was 120lber PJ Truntich, who cruised to the title with two pins and a major-decision, including a fall over Landon’s Axel Giron at the 3:18 mark of the second period in the finals. Both wrestlers were state runner-ups last year, Truntich at Spalding, while Giron wrestled for Parkdale of Prince George’s County last year (MPSSAA 4A/3A Division).

The only other local team to finish in the top 10 was Gilman, ninth with 69 points. The Greyhounds had one bronze medal winner, Alex Slodzinski (195). Andy Weinstein (106) was fourth, Jeremy Cranston (170) and Kevonte Beard (182) were fifth, and Cole Brown (152) placed sixth.

The outstanding wrestler award went to Gonzaga’s Nathan Thacker (160). Thacker grabbed his gold medal with a 4-2 overtime win over John Manning (Villanova Catholic from Ontario, Canada).